Manchester-based EHE Ventures has invested more than £1.1 million into seven early-stage AI startups across sectors including health, finance, agriculture, publishing and consumer tech.
The deals were made through the EHE Ventures (S)EIS AI Growth Fund, which plans to invest up to £15m in UK startups over the next three years.
The fund combines capital with operational and technical support through the company’s in-house Venture Studio.
The portfolio now includes SUBJCT, a MarTech startup using AI-powered content tagging to boost engagement and SEO, and Scooch, a direct-to-consumer pet health platform combining AI, embedded insurance and personalised care.
AgriTech company Fotenix applies digital twins and spectral imaging to detect crop disease weeks earlier than conventional methods, while Spotlight Pathology is using computer vision to speed up blood cancer diagnosis.
Also backed are Good With, a female-founded FinTech platform improving credit decision-making for underserved borrowers; Peppercorn AI, which deploys LLM-powered virtual assistants to streamline insurance onboarding, claims and customer service; and NeuWave Technologies, an ocean intelligence startup tackling costly offshore project delays caused by inaccurate wave forecasts.
“AI is transforming how we work, diagnose, farm, borrow and consume, and we’re not here for the hype,” said Neil Vose (pictured), CEO of EHE Venture Studio.
“We’re here to back practical, scalable applications of AI that actually make life better.
“What makes us different is that we don’t just invest. Our venture studio model means we’re in the trenches with founders, helping shape product, build tech, and get to market faster. It’s high-conviction, hands-on investing.
“We believe the North of England can lead the way in responsible, applied AI – and these seven companies are just the beginning.”
Andy Grove, chairman of EHE Group, added: “From day one, we promised to back founders building practical, transformative AI.
“With over £1.1m already deployed into seven high-potential startups, we’re making good on that promise.
“This early momentum shows that our model works and that our fund isn’t just active, it’s effective.”
The fund targets pre-seed to Series A companies that are either AI-first or AI-enabled, with a focus on healthcare, financial inclusion, digital infrastructure and climate resilience, with the business expected to deploy up to £5m by the end of 2025.
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